I think the title is self explanatory... anyway, I wanna make my buttons do a cool animation (like roll away or explode) but until AFTER they're clicked, anybody got a simple explanation? I'm using CS3 btw, thanks!

Within the movieclip, along its timeline, you create whatever different animations you intend for the different interactions. Then you assign code to the movieclip for those interactions that tell it to go to the sections of the timeline associated with each interaction. You could also do it using movieclips within the movieclip, controlling which are visible/playing at any time.

So in the movieclip you create an animation for what happens when you rollover the movieclip. And you assign rollover code to the movieclip to tell it to run that animation (gotoAndPlay(etc)).

I hate to sound amateur, but I really am, at least in AS. Do you have any example I could take as a reference? Like a button you created with an animation after clicking effect with the AS included? That would be very helpful, thanks!

Can you create a movieclip animation that you would like to use as such an animated button as you described in your intial posting? If so, then do that and then place a stop(); command in its first frame so that it does not play the animation. When you get that far, then indicate which version of actionscript you are using (check your Publish Settings in the Flash section) and I'll guide you further.